Why Do Family Worship?

There are many reasons why developing a consistent routine of family worship is so important for Christian parents. Many of these reasons are compelling, motivating, and encouraging. One of them is simply mandatory.

We could talk about percentages. Some 88% of teenagers who attend church regularly will leave the church once they finish high school. Adding a new program or college ministry, as important as those things might be, won’t do much to radically change such a gut-wrenching percentage. Many, if not most of the teenagers associated with that number have never had a consistent, lifelong experience of family worship. Parents can and must be the tool God uses to turn that number upside-down.

But that is not the most important reason.

We could talk about exposure. Children and students will at best receive instruction from Holy Scripture twice a week in a church setting, typically on a Sunday and Wednesday. We should be thankful for those opportunities and God will honor the faithful teaching of His word in the church. Yet, this is not enough to fully impact our children with the greatness of God and the living example of our faith.

But that is not the most important reason.

We could talk about responsibility. A recent Barna Research Group report shows that 85% of parents with children under the age of 13 believe they have the primary responsibility for teaching their children about religious belief. That is a great start. Unfortunately, a majority of those parents do not spend any time during a typical week discussing religious matters or studying religious material.

But that is not the most important reason.

The apostle John from the island of Patmos provides us with the most important and mandatory reason for family worship. He writes in Revelation 4:11, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” In other words, God deserves our worship. The Great Commandment to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is in parallel with John’s words. God deserves worship; He commands worship; He expects worship. The home must become the place where worship is natural, consistent, and anticipated. Because God is worthy and deserving.

And that is the most important reason.